garann

I don't really have an interest in what kind of events happen in the space. It appears to be a venue for business people so, as an engineer, what goes on there doesn't really affect me. Neither of the groups I run is likely to be able to afford to rent the conference room. I do, however, hope Refresh doesn't end up there - in spite of its flaws, I like Buffalo Billiards for meetups.

"The No. 1 challenge for tech startups in Austin and around the country is hiring critical engineering talent," Baer said. "We are going to bring the best talent here for all these events we will be having."

That seems like something of a leap of faith, especially if "these events" are the same ones mentioned earlier in the article, i.e., they're geared toward "entrepreneurs". Why would an engineer be interested in that sort of content unless he or she were trying to launch their own company? And if they're trying to launch their own business, of course, they're not likely to be looking for a job. Sounds like another echo chamber where business people congratulate each other on Austin's awesome tech community while avoiding doing anything, you know, technical.

That's an excellent question. I hope you get some answers soon, because if there are companies who wouldn't hire someone on the basis of her belief that people in her industry shouldn't be treated as commodities, I want to avoid them.

Whoa there. I don't not want to live in Austin. I wouldn't choose Austin if I were making the choice now, and that's for exactly the reason you provide: the work I want to do isn't here. As someone who's already here, I don't demand what I could get in the Bay Area, because I can't move there. Although I'm using my own experience in the post, this isn't about me - it's about the people Austin companies want to hire, who often need a reason to move here over SF, NYC, or any other place.

Lolwat. No one proclaimed any such thing. Sorry to break it to you, darling, but your reading comprehension skills need work.